Chapter 767: Chapter 235 Outside the Valley Encounters_1 Chapter 767: Chapter 235 Outside the Valley Encounters_1 “Brother, what happened?”

Link appeared immediately and asked.

Brother Shi was only slightly startled by Link’s appearance and accepted it right away.

After Hu Suqi accepted his confession, the two of them spent a shamelessly wonderful life together, being open and honest, discussing everything.

From his girlfriend, Brother Shi learned about things he’d had no idea about for the past thirty years.

He gained a lot of different experiences and insights.

He laughed heartily when he was happy and sighed deeply, holding his waist when he felt put upon.

In the process of their full-hearted exchanges, Brother Shi learned about the peculiarities of his eighth younger brother.

Especially his ability to appear and disappear mysteriously, so he wasn’t surprised by it.

Brother Shi continued to sharpen his knife, calmly saying, “The imperial court sent an angel with the imperial edict for Governor Hu, ordering him to send troops to search Death Valley, pluck the Longevity Peach, and present it to Emperor Kangqian. If the order is disobeyed or cannot be fulfilled, it will be considered a heinous crime. Most of Hu’s family members and relatives in the capital have been put under surveillance. Governor Hu, being upright and adamant, considered this order as unfair and refused to comply, opting to jail himself willingly. Su Qi and the other children of Governor Hu have also been detained.”

“So, are you intending to break into the jail?”

Link frowned slightly, believing intuitively that this situation wasn’t as simple as it seemed.

While the Human Immortal Martial Path and mechanical martial arts were thirving in this world, organizations practicing ancient witchcraft and evil witchcraft hid in the shadows but were not diminishing. However, the imperial court consistently maintained overall control, possessing the greatest power.

The angel represents the will of Emperor Kangqian, and his team is filled with experts who are more than capable of suppressing Hu Suqi and Hu Songqi. That is an expected situation.

But this doesn’t mean that Hu Suqi and Hu Songqi lacked the ability to escape.

In particular, Hu Songqi, who was half concealed in the shadows, could easily retreat if anything went wrong.

Link equally did not believe that Hu Suqi would just give up without a fight.

Therefore, Link disagreed with Brother Shi’s reckless plan to rescue people from jail.

The death of one person is a small matter, while getting the Octagon Martial Arts School involved is a big issue.

“Don’t worry, I’m not that foolish.”

Having realized Link’s concerns, Brother Shi finished sharpening his knife, cleaned it, dried it, applied anti-rust oil, and stored it away.

“Then what is your plan, Brother?”

Link, having his thoughts guessed, showed no awkward feelings, like guilt.

He continued to inquire in his straightforward manner, and a decision had formed in his mind.

If Brother’s plans were reasonable, he would still assist, making a contribution.

“I intend to go to Death Valley and look for this so-called Longevity Peach to see just how enchanting it is, that it caused Emperor Kangqian to give such absurd orders.”

Although Brother Shi’s tone was indifferent, it was filled with deep hatred.

Regardless of Governor Hu’s personal character, in terms of ability, he is quite formidable.

Before his appointment, this province was a stronghold of the conservative faction and not just Tianshui county. They strictly adhered to tradition.

Ever since Governor Hu took office, he established authority with a stamp in one hand and a knife in the other. Then, he used a money bag to attract people and successfully broke through the conservative faction’s defenses, opening up the situation.

Since then, the province has experienced massive development in the mechanical industry in less than fifteen years, making an economic leap from the bottom of the provinces to the top three.

Remembering this, Link quietly said, “Brother, have you ever considered that Emperor Kangqian might be killing several birds with one stone in this plot?”

“What do you mean?”

Brother Shi paused while oiling the blade.

“The existence of the Longevity Peach is more than just rumors; it’s recorded in both official and wild histories. Emperor Kangqian is aging, and he wants the Longevity Peach to prolong his life; that’s one aspect,” Link carefully explained his suspicions.

“Secondly, tens of thousands of martial artists will swarm in. This isn’t enough to accomplish anything major but it can create havoc and thus, must be controlled.”

“Thirdly, Governor Hu has been rooted in this province for fifteen years now. He has an excellent official reputation and great authority. He holds power, wealth, and the military, basically ruling like a provincial emperor! Emperor Kangqian wants to test if Governor Hu is still loyal to him using this. If he isn’t, he will be executed. If he is, he will be transferred.”

After a pause, Link mentioned an incident that could corroborate his suspicions: “According to Brother, Governor Hu willingly went to jail without any resistance. This is a great wisdom on the part of Governor Hu as it shows his loyalty, preserving himself and his family while avoiding the murky waters of Death Valley.”

“There’s so much to this?”

Brother Shi was astounded, he hadn’t thought of this.

When Hu Suqi told him not to break into jail, that they would safely be released from jail, this was what she meant.

“Brother, do you still want to enter Death Valley, find the Longevity Peach, and trade it for the release of Hu Suqi and her family?”

Seeing this, Link directly laid bare the plan Brother Shi had not expressed.

“Ah!”

Brother Shi sighed and sheathed his knife, “I don’t want to think about it anymore.”

According to Brother Link’s words, rushing into Death Valley wouldn’t help Suqi. On the contrary, it would potentially trap him instead.

If Suqi was released from jail and he ended up dying in the valley, that would leave too much regret.

Through their interaction these days, Brother Shi had deeply fallen for her and didn’t want to leave any regrets behind.

“Brother, return to Fuli County. Ask our master and mistress to call back all the disciples who are out there, and together head to the Mingxin Sword Sect to find refuge,” Link abruptly made a potential suggestion and said it in a serious tone.

“Huh?”

Brother Shi was slightly puzzled.

Did he worry that he would still want to sneak into Death Valley after giving up openly?

Seeing this, Link, who guessed what Brother Shi was thinking, explained, “Since the imperial court has sent an angel, it’s not possible for them to just walk away. I predict that the martial artists gathered outside the valley will be used as pawns. If Death Valley is indeed as terrifying as the rumors suggest, even using all these martial artists as cannon fodder wouldn’t be enough. So…”